24-hour search operation concludes after fatal shooting of conservative activist at Utah university
Tyler Robinson, suspected killer has been arrested after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that a person of interest is in custody for the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, ending an intensive 24-hour manhunt on Friday, September 12, 2025.
Investigators identified the suspect through security footage showing an individual wearing a black eagle-emblazoned top, sunglasses, and baseball cap accessing a campus roof via stairwells before firing a single shot from a bolt-action rifle.
"The arrest of 22-years-old came after Kirk was fatally shot by a sniper during a Wednesday, September 10, 2025 event at Utah Valley University attended by 3,000 people." the BBC reported
The killer fled by jumping off the roof into adjacent neighborhoods, though law enforcement later recovered the weapon in nearby woods.
Trump revealed during a Fox News interview that the suspect was turned in by someone close to him, potentially his father.
The president described the shooting as a heinous assassination and announced plans to posthumously award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor.
Kirk, 31, was conducting his Prove Me Wrong debate series as part of a 15-campus tour when struck in the neck while discussing mass shootings.
The Turning Point USA founder and prominent Trump ally had built substantial Republican support among young voters through his advocacy on conservative issues including immigration, gun rights, and religious freedom.
The shooting prompted universal condemnation from both political parties and foreign governments, highlighting growing concerns about political violence.
Utah university remained closed as FBI and state investigators processed evidence from the crime scene, including palm prints and footprints near the shooting position.